Avoid washing
Air by the window, hang in a steamy bathroom or put in freezer
Hand wash (30°C)
Lay flat to dry
Avoid wringing
No Tumble Dry
Organic Dry Cleaning

Width: 27.5 cm
Hight: 27 cm

NOTE:
Knitwear is stretchy. Lay down a beanie on a flat surface. Measure the width and length from the highest and widest points and compare with the measurements above. Slight deviations are rare but possible due to production tolerances.

WHY IS ALPACA SUSTAINABLE & ECO-FRIENDLY

ANTIBACTERIAL & WASHLESS:

Alpaca knitwear is virtually self-cleaning due to its antibacterial properties, and because of its lack of lanolin, it remains completely odour-resistant at all times.

The antibacterial Alpaca fibre only requires wash-less garment care by hanging the knitwear in a steamy bathroom or airing it out by the window. Our own personal baby alpaca garments haven’t been washed since produced in 2014!
We believe it is good to wash less, because garment washing contributes to a significant carbon footprint, causing excessive water and energy wastage. For stains, use a plant-based spot remover, the hand-wash cycle with max. 40°C temperature or find an organic dry cleaner. Note: use a washing bag.

LONG-LASTING:

Sustainably engineered, this alpaca garment is virtually indestructible and can be worn for years, reducing the unhealthy demand for new products.
The heavyweight double-sided 100% baby alpaca knit is made of long fibres and tightly knitted yarns – preventing wool pilling, thinning and breaking of the knitted fabric.
The timeless aesthetic, simplicity, and the reversible function offers two flexible wearing options. Thanks to the durable finishing, this garment will be a long- term and easy – care companion, particularly for travellers and adventures.

BIODEGRADABLE:

When the life of an alpaca garment has eventually passed, it is biodegradable, due to its natural content. Alpaca is lacking in lanolin and other oils found in sheep’s wool, thus, no harsh chemicals are needed to process alpaca, making alpaca ranching 100% natural. Our dying process is safe for the environment and all dyes are certified and skin-friendly. Opting for natural clothing that requires no washing further has a positive impact on our environment, as by comparison washing synthetic garments gives off around 1900 individual fibres, which can end up in the oceans and can make their way into the food chain by entering the system of animals and ourselves.

RENEWABLE:

Alpaca naturally regrows every year and is classified as a very durable, sustainable, and long-lasting fibre. The valuable alpaca fleece is shorn much like sheep wool, annually and in spring. Alpacas are much happier in warm weather once the fibre is removed and by the time cold weather returns the sustainable fibre regrows.

ECO-FRIENDLY:

The alpacas adaptation for living in harsh environments, such as the Andes mountains, grants them a light eco-footprint. When compared to other grazing animals, alpaca’s soft feet leave terrain undamaged and their low-nutrition eating habits result in minimal water and acreage consumption.

WHY IS ALPACA HYPOALLERGENIC, ODOUR- & PERSPIRATION RESISTANT

Alpaca is considered hypoallergenic because it lacks lanolin. Lanolin is traditionally found in sheep’s wool and irritates many wearers upon contact. Lanolin binds to dust, microscopic allergens, perspiration and odours. Most people who have wool based allergies will not be allergic to the smooth and itch-free alpaca fibre.

WHY IS ALPACA THERMOREGULATING & MOISTURE-WICKING

Alpacas have evolved in one of the most volatile climates – the Andes Mountains. Their fleece creates the perfect coat for the alpaca’s environment, becoming a natural barrier to keep cold air from getting to the skin at night, and in the heat of the day, keeping them comfortably cool. In other words their smart thermo-regulating fleece perfectly adapts to the changing climate, allowing them to never get too hot or too cold. The thermo-regulating properties likewise work for humans – keeping you warmer in the winter and cooler and even UV protected in the summer.

Thermoregulation is considered to be one of the most important properties of textiles describing comfort. Alpaca creates pockets of microscopic space with the ability to hold air in the hollow shafts in the center of the fiber, which absorbs and stores body heat.

Sweat is your body coolant. When it is hot, your body produces it. Sweat evaporates, and it removes body heat. If sweat remains on your body surface you will feel cooler. Unfortunately you will also start to smell more or less but alpaca wool reduces any odour and perspiration at the same time, as moisture is wicked away by alpaca wool clothing.

WHY IS ALPACA SOFT BUT VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE

The alpaca haptic is a combination of the soft texture of short cashmere fibres and a silky smooth feel of silk fabric.

Yet the long fibres provide the strength of modern synthetics, making it much more robust than sheep wool and cashmere.

WHY IS THIS ALPACA PRODUCT ETHICAL

Ethical production is a holistic approach to the manufacturing process that focuses on good health for all and everything involved. R.EH as an ethical brand cares about every part, from design, material, production, safety, health, fair working conditions and prices. We want to manufacture safe products safely with our family businesses for our conscious customers. Thus, our products cause no health risks to manufacturers, users and no damage to the environment.

Inspired by the organisation La Escuelita e.V.`s willingness to help, R.EH decided to donate 5 € of every sold product worth more than 140 € to their non-profit association. The gross price only includes a customer donation of 2,50 €. The other 50% are deducted from R.EH`s own profit per sold item. The collected donations will be transferred to the non-profit organisation La Escuelita e.V. at the end of every year. Read more here: PROJECT

FABRIC
100% alpaca (baby)

BRAND LABEL:
Premium warp sateen, real selvedge, 100% Polyester

CARE LABEL:
100% cotton

HANG TAG:
100% recycled cardpaper
100% waxed cotton

PACKAGING:
100% recycled cardpaper

Haptic

Baby alpaca is a soft, smooth, silky and durable natural fibre, that is not itchy or prickly on the skin, whereas the wool from an older alpaca is slightly more sturdy. Alpaca wool can be described as cashmere-soft, with the strength of modern synthetics and as much more robust than sheep wool.

Baby alpaca

The term baby alpaca describes the young alpaca’s first shorn fleece as well as the fine downy undercoat of the alpaca. Therefore baby alpaca is not shorn from small baby alpacas. The fibre has a fibre diameter of 22 or fewer microns. Baby alpaca therefore belongs to the rarest and finest classification of alpaca wool.

Strong alpaca

Strong alpaca is the classification for medium fine alpaca fibre with a fibre diameter of less than 36 microns. Its haptic is smooth, soft and slightly sturdier than baby alpaca.

DESIGN

Design, Research & Development time: 3 years
Location: Berlin & Peru

Spinning mill – Peru

The high-quality alpaca fibre stems from Michell – a company founded by Frank W. Michell in Arequipa in 1931. Today, Michell is known for its highly refined fibre finishing processes and the sustainable production of one of the finest Peruvian alpaca yarns. Michell sources the raw alpaca fibre from small communities in Peru, that sustain traditional alpaca herding. With some of the wool sales, Michell funds his own non-profit organisation called Mirasol – a school and shelter for children, who face a dangerous walk of 3 to 4 hours to get to school.

Knitwear manufacturer – Peru

In the light of the constant comings and goings of knitwear manufacturers in Peru, Mr. Muñoz founded one of the oldest and fair trade knitwear manufacturing companies in Arequipa in 1991. Today, Mr. Muñoz and Mrs. Muñoz are fully specialised in high-quality baby alpaca knitwear and run a team of 20 employees.

“Our clients are vital to the success of our business and I’m pleased to say that, during the past ten years of selling products as opposed to offering a commission knitting service, we have developed a loyal following where most of them have continued with us from the outset. With their help, too, we have developed a socially responsible philosophy within our factory where the same clients visit and audit our progress. Most employees are female and everyone is of legal age and accredited with their employment contracts under the laws of the country. Pregnant employees and mothers have flexible work schedules. We do not pollute the environment and it is of great importance to us to provide our team a pleasant and healthy place to work.”

SIZE

For scarves and beanies we only produce one average size – make sure to lay down one of your scarves on a flat surface, because knitwear is stretchy. Measure the width and length of one of your scarves and compare with the measurement of this scarf.

One size only:
Width: 27.5 cm
Hight: 27 cm

WOOL: 50,57 €/kg (55,75 $/kg)
0,15 kg x 50,57 € = 7,59 €

BRAND LABEL:
0,16 €

HANG TAG:
0,15 €

PACKAGING
0,20 €

TOTAL MATERIAL COST:
8,10 €

MANUFACTURING COST:
5,12 €

SHIPPING:
4,41 €

TOTAL PRODUCT COST:
17,63 €

R.EH MARK UP (excl. VAT):
17,63 € X 2,0 = 35,26 €

RETAIL MARK UP (excl. VAT):
35,26 € x 0,3 = 10,57 €

TOTAL MARK UP (excl. VAT):
35,26 € + 10,88 € = 45,84 €

The retail mark up covers a part of the R.EH research & design time, production development, studio costs, utility costs, transportation, office supplies, maintenance and costs of the online shop, insurance, legal and accounting costs and marketing.